THE ORIGINS OF SOME ENGLISH PLACE NAMES
By Tim Lambert
BURY, BOROUGH
Is usually a corruption of burh, which meant a fort of fortified place. Aylesbury
was Aegel's burh or burgh. Boarhunt was burh funta the spring by the fort.BY
Was the Danish word for village. Derby was Deor By the deer village.
CASTER, CESTER AND CHESTER
Are derived from the Saxon word ceaster, which meant a Roman fort or town. Lancaster was Lune ceaster. Chichester was Cissa's ceaster.
CLOPP
Clopp meant a short hill. Clapham in London was clopp ham the village by the short hill.
COOMB OR COMBE
Is usually derived from the Saxon word 'cumb', which meant valley. Compton a common village name was cumb tun or valley farm.
COTT OR COTE
Place names ending in cott or cote are usually derived from the Saxon word for house 'cott'.
DEAN OR DENE
Is usually a corruption of denu, which meant a little valley.
DEN
At the end of the place name is usually derived from denn, which meant pasture, usually for pigs.
DON
Is usually derived from the word 'dun', which meant hill. (The South Downs were the South Duns). Swindon was swine dun or swine hill.
ESSEX
The land of the East Saxons.
EY OR EA
Is usually derived from the Saxon word 'eg', which meant either island or promontory. (It could also mean an area of dry land surrounded by marshy land). Swansea was Swain's eg or Swain's promontory.
FARN
Is usually a corruption of fern as in Farnham
FIELD
Is usually a corruption of 'feld' which meant open land (without trees). Sheffield was Sheaf feld.
FLEET
Was an old word for a stream.
FRITH
A forest where the right to hunt animals was reserved for the king or a noble.
HAM
Meant village or estate. Fareham was ferne ham or the village by the ferns.
HOLM OR HOLME
Comes from the Scandinavian word for island 'holmr'. (It often meant an 'island' of dry land surrounded by marshy land).
HOLT
Meant wood in the Saxon language.
HURST
Meant a wooded hill.
ING
At the end of a place name 'ing' is usually derived from 'ingas', which meant the people of e.g. Reading was Reada ingas, the people of Reada. However in the middle of a name ing usually comes from 'inga', which meant belonging to e.g. Nottingham was Snotta inga ham, the village belonging to Snotta.
KIRK
Is the Scandinavian word for church.
LY, LEY, LEIGH
Are usually derived from the word leah, which could mean either a wood or more often a clearing in a wood. Crawley was crow leah
MERE OR MORE
The old word mere meant a pond e.g. Swanmore was swan mere or swan pond.
MIDDLESEX
The land of the middle Saxons.
NORTHUMBRIA
Is derived from words meaning 'the people who live north of the Humber'. It was once a kingdom.
PEN
Occurs in many Cornish names. The Cornish word 'penn' meant headland. Penzance was Penn Sans, which means holy headland.
PREST
Is usually a corruption of the priest's. Preston was priest's tun (farm or estate).
RIVER NAMES
Avon is a common river name in England. Avon is the old Celtic word for river. Beck usually comes from the Scandinavian word for stream bekkr. Rith as in Penrith comes from the Scandinavian word for little stream. Stour probably meant strong (strongly flowing).
STED OR STEAD
Is usually derived from the word stede, which meant place. East Grinstead was east green place.
STOKE
Is usually derived from the word 'stoc', which meant a hamlet or little settlement, which depended on a bigger settlement nearby. Meonstoke was the stoc of the Meon people. The Danish word Thorpe meant the same thing.
STOW
Is usually derived from stowe, which meant meeting place. Bristol was brigg stowe, the meeting place by the bridge.
SUTTON
Is a common place name in England. It is usually derived from the Saxon words sud tun, which meant south farm.
SUSSEX
The land of the South Saxons.
THWAITE
Is derived from a Scandinavian word, which meant clearing.
TOFT
Is an old Scandinavian word for house.
TON
Is usually a corruption of 'tun', which meant farm or hamlet. Taunton was Tone tun.
WALD
Was the Saxon word for forest. I was often corrupted to weald and it appears in many place names as 'wold'.
WESSEX
The land of the West Saxons.
WHITCHURCH
Is a common place name. It means white church e.g. because the church was made of white stone.
WICK
Has several meanings. At the beginning of a name, like Wickham, it is usually derived from the Roman word 'vicus', which meant vicinity. At the end of a name wick sometimes meant trading place e.g. Norwich was the north wick. It could also mean a port like Greenwich. Or it could mean a specialised farm e.g. Gatwick was a goat farm and Chiswick was a cheese farm.
WORTH
Meant an enclosure or an enclosed settlement (enclosed by a wall of wooden stakes). Tamworth was Tame worth
To read about the origins of English surnames click here.